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How Voting Rights Fared in the Mid-Terms

Charges of Vote Stealing in Florida Portend More Distrust for 2020

The legal and political skirmishing in the state, Republicans and Democrats say, has
been an ominous dry run for messaging and tactics about fraud and vote-stealing that
threaten to further undermine confidence in the electoral system.

A Week After the Midterms, Trump Seems to Forget the Caravan

There was little dispute, even before Election Day, that Mr. Trump was exploiting
the caravan for political purposes. But analysts, historians and veterans of previous
administrations said there were few comparable instances of a commander in chief warning
about what he called a looming threat, only to drop it as soon as people voted.

President Trump went out of his way to distance himself from Matthew G. Whitaker,
his choice to replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general, saying repeatedly that he
did not know Mr. Whitaker and had not spoken to him and emphasizing that the new attorney
general was merely “there in an acting position.”

Trump’s Immigration Rhetoric Rallied the Base. But It Also Backfired

In the final weeks of the campaign, Mr. Trump led the Republican Party in pumping
out dark narratives about the dangers of illegal immigrants. Voter surveys and political
analysts say the invective appeared to help Republicans hold the Senate. But it also
backfired in places like Colorado and Kansas, where some moderate and highly educated
conservatives felt alienated and broke to the left.

Even for This President, It Was a Remarkable Week of Attacks on American Institutions

In the three days after the Democrats captured the House, President Trump fired his
attorney general and replaced him with a loyalist critical of both the courts and
the Russia investigation. He banned a CNN correspondent from the White House, while
threatening he would do the same to other journalists. And he accused election officials
in Florida and Arizona of rigging the vote against candidates he had campaigned for.

The White House used on a misleadingly edited video from a contributor to the conspiracy
site Infowars to help justify removing the credentials of CNN’s chief White House
correspondent, a striking escalation in President Trump’s broadsides against the press.

High Turnout Shows Intensity of Divisions in Trump Era

Democrats harnessed voter fury toward President Trump to win control of the House
and capture pivotal governorships Tuesday night as liberals and moderates banded together
to deliver a forceful rebuke of Mr. Trump, even as Republicans held on to their Senate
majority by claiming a handful of conservative-leaning seats.

Gavin Newsom Elected Governor. What's Next?

An outspoken champion of LGBTQ rights, strict gun control and the legalization of
marijuana, Newsom campaigned with an ambitious and expensive agenda, including proposals
for a state-sponsored healthcare system, universal preschool and increased funding
for higher education.

Seven Key Election Takeaways

There are a lot of different ways to read the results from elections across the country.
There will be lots of spin in the coming days about what it all means, but here are
seven ways to cut through the noise and put what happened in context.

Night of Firsts: Diverse Candidates Make History in Midterm Elections

There were historic firsts across the country on Tuesday night, as voters chose from
a set of candidates that was among the most diverse ever to run in the United States.
Women, Native Americans, Muslims and L.B.G.T. candidates were among those who broke
barriers.

What the new Democratic House majority might actually pass on health care

The new House Democratic majority knows what it opposes. They want to stop any further
efforts by Republicans or the Trump administration to roll back and undermine the
Affordable Care Act or overhaul Medicaid and Medicare. But Democrats are less certain
about an affirmative health care agenda. Vox explains.

Who should fix the housing crisis? CA voters send a mixed message

Voters in traffic-choked, rent-strapped California gave mixed reviews Tuesday to a
wide array of proposed fixes that appeared on state and local ballots, from creating
more affordable housing for the poor and enacting price caps on rents to paying for
road repairs and transit.

Bay Area election guide: 10 things you need to know

Here's a look at the 11 propositions California voters will weigh on Nov. 6

Ballot measures address a range of topics including government borrowing, healthcare,
taxes and even whether Californians should stop changing their clocks twice a year.
Each needs only a simple majority of votes cast on Nov. 6 to become law.

Four Scandals That Could Tip the Mid-Terms

Scandals loom large in some key Congressional races this year. Four races with implicated
incumbent Republicans are now considered more competitive for Democrats, who could
retake the House as a result. Vox explains.

Fact-Checking President Trump's Montana Rally

At a rally in Montana on Saturday, President Trump inaccurately accused the state’s
Democratic senator of supporting an “open borders” bill, falsely said the economy
was “going down” before he took office and repeated a number of misleading claims.

Trump's False Claims on Pre-Existing Comditions

President Donald Trump wants voters to believe that Republicans are the party protecting
Americans with preexisting conditions. But in bills, lawsuits, and regulations, they’ve
worked to do the very opposite.

How Trump-Fed Conspiracies About Migrant Caravan Intersect With Deadly Hatred

For the last two weeks, Mr. Trump and his conservative allies have operated largely
in tandem on social media and elsewhere to push alarmist, conspiratorial warnings
about the migrant caravan more than 2,000 miles from the border.

Trump’s Attacks on the News Media Are Working

Driven by Trump Policy Changes, Fracking Booms on Public Lands

Reversing a trend in the final years of the Obama presidency, the Trump administration
is auctioning off millions of acres of drilling rights to oil and gas developers,
a central component of the White House’s plan to work hand in glove with the industry
to promote more domestic energy production.

The Conspiratorial Hate We See Online Is Increasingly Appearing In Real Life

The hatred, trolling, harassment, and conspiracy theorizing of the internet’s underbelly
cannot be dismissed as empty, nihilistic performance. It may be a game, but it’s a
game with consequences. And it’s spilling into the physical world with greater, more
alarming frequency.

Trump and Cruz Put Aside Vitriol to Present a United Front

While many elected Republicans remain privately dismayed by the president for various
reasons, they have put aside their qualms to embrace him during this campaign season,
as demonstrated by Ted Cruz, one of Trump’s last and most virulent opponents during
his journey to the White House.

Trump Admitted There’s "No Proof" Of His Claim That "Middle Easterners" Are Part Of
The Migrant Caravan

"There's no proof of anything," Trump told a reporter in the Oval Office after being
asked if he had any evidence to back up his claim. "There's no proof of anything,"
he repeated. "But there very well could be."

A President Who Believes He Is Entitled to His Own Facts

Over the course of 21 months, President Trump has loudly and repeatedly refused to
accept a number of seemingly agreed-upon facts, while insisting on the veracity of
a variety of demonstrably false claims that happen to suit his political needs. In
the process, he has untethered the White House from the burden of objective proof.

Budget Deficit Jumps Nearly 17% in 2018

The untold story of the migrant “caravan”

The Central American migrants who sparked Trump’s panic faced attacks in Mexico —
and threats of deportation — while waiting to seek asylum in the US. Vox looks at
how Trump’s border crackdown endangered immigrants’ lives.

From the pot-and-kettle department of politics, the president is trying to turn the
tables on his opponents this fall. A master of divide-and-conquer campaigning who
gives critics belittling nicknames, calls his foes “evil people” and has encouraged
supporters to “knock the crap” out of protesters, Mr. Trump hopes to convince the
public that his opponents are the ones who are “totally unhinged.”

Confirming Kavanaugh: A Triumph for Conservatives, but a Blow to the Court’s Image

For President Trump and Senate Republicans, confirming Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh as
a Supreme Court justice was a hard-won political victory. For the conservative legal
movement, it is a signal triumph. But public confidence in the court has suffered.

Susan Collins Gambles With the Future of Roe v. Wade

In a long speech on the Senate floor Friday afternoon, Senator Susan Collins said
she believes that Brett Kavanaugh would not vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and subsequent
cases that have reaffirmed it, if such an opportunity were to come before him on the
Supreme Court.

Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father

The president has long sold himself as a self-made billionaire, but a New York Times
investigation found that he received at least $413 million in today’s dollars from
his father’s real estate empire, much of it through tax dodges in the 1990s.

Susan Collins, one of the most important swing votes on Kavanaugh’s nomination, explained

Maine Sen. Susan Collins could be a crucial swing vote on the confirmation of Supreme
Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Collins is deliberate, she’s reserved, and she never
tips her hand. She makes her own choices.

Migrant Children Moved Under Cover of Darkness to a Texas Tent City

In shelters from Kansas to New York, hundreds of migrant children have been roused
in the middle of the night in recent weeks and loaded onto buses with backpacks and
snacks for a cross-country journey to their new home: a barren tent city on a sprawling
patch of desert in West Texas.

Kavanaugh Borrows From Trump’s Playbook on White Male Anger

For many conservatives, especially white men who share Mr. Trump’s contempt for the
left and his use of divisive remarks, the clash over Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation
has become a rallying cry against a liberal order that, they argue, is hostile to
their individual rights, political power and social status.

At Times, Kavanaugh’s Defense Misleads or Veers Off Point

The combative nominee was compelled to answer questions he clearly found embarrassing
or offensive. What emerges is the image of a skilled lawyer who, when pressed on difficult
subjects, sometimes crafted responses that were misleading, disputed or off point.

A Bitter Nominee, Questions of Neutrality, and a Damaged Supreme Court

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's demeanor at Thursday's Senate hearing raised
questions about his neutrality and temperament and whether the already fragile reputation
of the Supreme Court as an institution devoted to law rather than politics would be
threatened if he is confirmed.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s Battering Ram

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, says that she never set out
to be “the face of anything.” Most of her thirty-one predecessors came from careers
in journalism or communications, but Sanders’s background is in Republican campaign
management and strategy.

The Plot to Subvert an Election

For two years, Americans have tried to absorb the details of the 2016 attack — hacked
emails, social media fraud, suspected spies — and President Trump’s claims that it’s
all a hoax. The New York Times explores what we know and what it means.

For American consumers, prices have already risen on some products that the administration
targeted for tariffs this year — most notably, washing machines, which were subjected
to steep tariffs in January.

Can Mark Zuckerberg Fix Facebook Before It Breaks Democracy?

The sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, explained

The stakes for both sides are incredibly high. Liberals are already wary of the Supreme
Court after Republicans held Antonin Scalia’s seat open for more than a year. Meanwhile,
Republicans view appointing Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy as key to a long-held
goal: chipping away at or outright overturning the right to abortion outlined in Roe
v. Wade.

The Overlooked Weak Link in Election Security

While attention has focused on the potential to penetrate voting machines, a ProPublica
survey found that more than one-third of counties overseeing toss-up congressional
elections have email systems that could be vulnerable to hacking.

Eighteen former counterterrorism officials are urging the departments of Justice and
Homeland Security to retract or correct a report that implies a link between terrorism
and immigration, calling its findings “misleading” and counterproductive.

‘Never give an inch’: Trump touts perceived failures as successes

It’s a frequent tactic of the president — elevate a widely perceived failure or mistake
and defend it as a great triumph while attacking his critics. His detractors say it
is shameless and sometimes comical gaslighting; supporters say he is just a master
marketer who uses hyperbole and always shows strength.

Bob Woodward’s new book, Fear, explained

Fear offers insight into a dysfunctional policy process, with new details of President
Trump ranting, raving, and clashing with aides behind the scenes. But it also tells
the particular story that Woodward’s major sources have chosen to tell him, and reflects
their points of view and priorities.

Trump Claims Credit for the Economy. Not So Fast, Says Obama

Barely a day passes without President Trump boasting about the growing economy, claiming
with a mix of hyperbole and fact that it is “booming like never before.” But former
President Barack Obama finds all the Trumpian chest-thumping more than a little grating,
given that the “booming” started on his watch.

Republicans Want An NFL “Culture War” To Help Defeat A Blue Wave

Republican strategists and campaign staff tell BuzzFeed News that they see opportunities
for candidates to make the NFL protests a political liability for Democrats defending
seats in states President Donald Trump won in 2016.

Trump Says Google Is Rigged, Despite Its Denials. What Do We Know About How It Works?

As the web has grown in size and complexity, the importance of Google Search has grown.
Still, not many people have a good understanding of how Google delivers search results.
And for good reason — Google tries to keep it a secret.

New Book Depicts Trump White House as 'Crazytown"

A sprawling, highly anticipated book by Bob Woodward depicts the Trump White House
as a byzantine, treacherous, often out-of-control operation — “crazytown,” in the
words of the chief of staff, John F. Kelly — hostage to the whims of an impulsive,
ill-informed and undisciplined president.

In Chastising Sessions Over Indictments of Two Republicans, Trump Crosses a Line

Legal scholars and some lawmakers said the president's tweet could be one more exhibit
in trying to prove a pattern of obstruction or reckless disregard for the rule of
law in a future impeachment proceeding.

How a new Supreme Court justice will affect abortion, prisons, affirmative action,
and gay rights.

An America after Anthony Kennedy and under Brett Kavanaugh looks significantly different
from America before. The movement against mass incarceration could run into unprecedented
resistance from the Court, and the anti-abortion movement could notch its greatest
victories in a half-century.

The Trump administration and its closest intelligence partners have quietly warned
technology firms that they will demand “lawful access” to all encrypted emails, text
messages and voice communications, threatening to compel compliance if the private
companies refuse to voluntarily provide the information to the governments.

Separated immigrant children are all over the U.S. now, far from parents who don’t
know where they are

The separations have stopped and the Trump administration has said that it is executing
a plan to reunify the children with their parents before deporting them. Still, more
than 2,000 children remain spread around the United States, far from their parents
— many of whom have no idea where their sons and daughters have been taken.

The president’s whiplash-inducing order caught several people by surprise. Just a
day before Mr. Trump signed it, one person close to the president said that he told
advisers that separating families at the border was the best deterrent to illegal
immigration and that he said that “my people love it.”

Behind Trump’s Plan to Overhaul the Government: Scaling Back the Safety Net

Produced over the last year by Mr. Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, it would
reshuffle social welfare programs in a way that would make them easier to cut, scale
back or restructure, according to several administration officials involved in the
planning.

How the Case for Voter Fraud Was Tested — and Utterly Failed

President Trump seems to be saying more and more things that aren’t true

President Trump — a man already known for trafficking in mistruths and even outright
lies — has been outdoing even himself with falsehoods in recent days, repeating and
amplifying bogus claims on several of the most pressing controversies facing his presidency.

New York Attorney General Sues Trump Foundation After 2-Year Investigation

For Trump, Power and Values Matter Less Than Dollars and Cents

In the president's transactional approach to foreign policy, considerations of financial
profit or cost — often measured in ways that economists deem simplistic — can outweigh
virtually any other consideration.

9 questions about North Korea you were too embarrassed to ask

Tax Havens Blunt Impact of Corporate Tax Cut

The new corporate tax cuts are unlikely to stimulate the level of job creation and
wage growth that the Trump administration has promised, a trio of prominent economists
has concluded, because high tax rates were not pushing much investment out of the
United States in the first place.

Her Daughter Was Shot in the Santa Fe School Massacre. Here's What It's Like For One
Mother.

Facebook Tried to Rein In Fake Ads. It Fell Short in a California Race.

While the company has introduced several measures to improve the transparency of political
ads on its platform, some groups and individuals appear to be finding ways to flout
the new restrictions — and Facebook has not been able to catch them

DACA Students Persevere in College

Not only have these DACA students persevered to graduate from college. As the school
year comes to an end, signs have emerged that still more will enroll and many already
there will stay. This despite the DACA program’s precarious future, teetering between
President Donald Trump’s threats to shut it down and federal court decisions that
have so far blocked him.

A Courtside View of EPA Chief's Cozy Ties With a Billionaire Coal Baron

Mr. Pruitt’s mostly behind-the-scenes relationship with Mr. Craft, the coal billionaire,
is emblematic of his unorthodox approach to leading the E.P.A., where he often blurs
the lines between personal and official relationships and has created the impression
at times that he does the bidding of the industries the agency regulates.

California’s “top two” primary chaos, explained

Did the Government Separate Immigrant Children From Parents and Lose Them?

President Trump over the weekend falsely blamed Democrats for a “horrible law” separating
immigrant children from their parents. In fact, his own administration had just announced
this policy. But across social media, there have been confusing reports of what happened
to these immigrant children. Here are some answers.

With ‘Spygate,’ Trump Uses Conspiracy Theories to Erode Trust

No Surprise: Trump blames Democrats for separating migrant families

In one of several misleading tweets during the holiday weekend, Trump pushed Democrats
to change a “horrible law” that the president said mandated separating children from
parents who enter the country illegally.

Trump Versus Law Enforcement: A Confrontation With No Precedent

Young People Keep Marching After Parkland, This Time to Register to Vote

The pace of new voter registrations among young people in crucial states is accelerating,
a signal that school shootings this year — and the anger and political organizing
in their wake — may prove to be more than ephemeral displays of activism.

These Are The Victims Of The Texas High School Shooting

Trump’s “animals” remark and the ensuing controversy, explained

President Trump called some people “animals” during an immigration roundtable with
California sheriffs on May 16. Who you believe he was referring to probably depends
on how you feel about President Trump

How New Abortion Restrictions Would Affect Women’s Health Care

New rules proposed by the Trump Administration raise complicated questions about the
fate of organizations that provide both family planning and abortion services — and
the potential health effects on women who depend on such providers for basic care.

The controversial US Jerusalem embassy opening, explained

Education Department Unwinds Unit Investigating Fraud at For-Profits

The unwinding of the team has effectively killed investigations into possibly fraudulent
activities at several large for-profit colleges where top hires of Betsy DeVos, the
education secretary, had previously worked.

Devin Nunes vs. the Justice Dept.

Since Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee declared that they had found
no evidence of coordination between Russia’s election interference and the Trump campaign,
its chairman has decisively turned the panel’s attention from investigation to investigators.

DHS is using an extremely dubious statistic to justify splitting up families at the
border

EPA Emails Show Effort to Shield Pruitt from Public Scrutiny

A new cache of emails shows that the agency’s close control of Mr. Pruitt’s events
is driven more by a desire to avoid tough questions from the public than by concerns
about security, contradicting Mr. Pruitt’s longstanding defense of his secretiveness.

Gina Haspel Has the Experience to Run the C.I.A., and That May Be Her Biggest Problem

Ms. Haspel’s greatest strength as a nominee, her extensive record, has become her
greatest weakness as critics pick apart her role in some of the agency’s darkest chapters
involving torture and secret prisons.

McMaster and Commander

Gen. H.R. McMaster, who was President Trump's second national security adviser, is
a decorated war hero. He has joked to friends that his combat experiences compare
favorably with his tour of duty at the White House.

‘We Deserve to Live Without Fear’

Hundreds of Immigrant Children Have Been Taken From Parents at U.S. Border

Members of Congress have been demanding answers about how many families are being
separated as they are processed at stations along the southwest border, in part because
the Trump administration has in the past said it was considering taking children from
their parents as a way to deter migrants from coming here.

The US bombing of Syria, explained

Who Polices the Immigration Police?

Claims of unjust arrests by ICE agents and cops often disappear into an overwhelmed
immigration court system. An investigation has uncovered racial profiling, warrantless
searches, fabricated evidence, and other abuses.

Sessions Turned to Convicted Fundraiser for Advice

Preparing to restock the Department of Justice at the start of the Trump administration,
Jeff Sessions sought out Elliott Broidy for recommendations. The Republican donor’s
conviction in a political corruption case years earlier didn’t seem to be a problem

‘You Are the Product' on Facebook

Christopher Deason and his Facebook friends became early entries in a database that
would ultimately encompass tens of millions of Facebook profiles and is now at the
center of a crisis facing the social media giant.

The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant

A Trump Twitter Battle Is No Longer One-Sided

As President Trump has voiced his grievances against the F.B.I. with a series of insult-laden
tweets, his targets have responded nearly in kind, turning a conflict that would in
the past have stayed behind closed doors into a brawl for all to see.

There’s Never Been a Native American Congresswoman. That Could Change in 2018.

There are at least four indigenous women running for Congress, three more are bidding
for governors’ offices and another 31 are campaigning for seats in state legislatures
— from both sides of the aisle.

‘This Is the Way I Have to Grieve’

Since a gunman killed 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in Parkland, Fla., students' voices have resonated where those of longtime
politicians have largely fallen flat.

Trump and the Truth: A President Tests His Own Credibility

While most presidents lie at times, Mr. Trump’s speeches and Twitter posts are embedded
with so many false, distorted, misleading or unsubstantiated claims that he has tested
even the normally low standards of American politics.

How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions

One firm harvested private information from the Facebook profiles of more than 50
million users without their permission, the New York Times reports. This allowed the
firm to exploit the private social media activity of a huge swath of the American
electorate, developing techniques that underpinned its work on President Trump’s campaign
in 2016.

Ryan Zinke spent his first year in office selling off our public lands

Since he was sworn in to lead the $12 billion agency in charge of federal lands and
natural resources, Zinke has made unprecedented changes that could leave a lasting
mark on America’s wilderness and its environment.

The Price They Pay

State Dept. Was Granted $120 Million to Fight Russian Meddling. It Has Spent $0.

The delay is just one symptom of the largely passive response to the Russian interference
by President Trump, who has made little if any public effort to rally the nation to
confront Moscow and defend democratic institutions.

Here Come the Fake Videos, Too

A community of hobbyists has begun experimenting with more powerful tools for making
computer-generated videos, including FakeApp — a program that was built by an anonymous
developer using open-source software written by Google.

Live From the West Wing, Trump Pulls Back the Curtain

The meetings have produced little in the way of concrete movement on major policy
issues, and some Republican officials complain privately that they have only undercut
the potential for such progress, because they show a president devoid of clear views.

Trump Falsely Claims, ‘I Never Said Russia Did Not Meddle’

How Unwitting Americans Encountered Russian Operatives Online

They were politically active Americans scattered around the country, dedicating their
spare time to the 2016 presidential campaign or various causes. And the seeming fellow
activists who called them to rallies via Facebook, or joined in the free-for-all on
Twitter, appeared unremarkable.

To Stir Discord in 2016, Russians Turned Most Often to Facebook

The social network, more than any other technology tool, was singled out on Friday
by the Justice Department when prosecutors charged 13 Russians and three companies
for executing a scheme to subvert the 2016 election and support Donald J. Trump’s
presidential campaign

How gun control works in America, compared with 4 other rich countries

Vox reports the US really does have the most relaxed gun control measures in comparison
with other developed nations.
Based on the research, that's a significant reason the US leads its developed peers
in gun violence.

Payday Lending Rules Relax on Trump’s Watch, After Lobbying

Payday lenders waged a concentrated lobbying campaign that has culminated in the Trump
administration’s loosening regulatory grip and a far friendlier approach by the industry’s
nemesis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The 9 biggest questions about the Nunes memo, answered

President’s Unparalleled War on a Pillar of Society: Law Enforcement

With a special counsel investigating whether his campaign collaborated with Russia
in 2016 and whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice in 2017, the president has engaged
in a scorched-earth assault on the pillars of the criminal justice system in a way
that no other occupant of the White House has done.

As Strongmen Steamroll Their Opponents, U.S. Is Silent

Leaders of countries like Egypt, which had long been sensitive to Washington’s influence,
know they run little risk of rebuke from an American president who has largely abandoned
the promotion of human rights and democracy in favor of his narrow “America First”
agenda.

President Trump Bragged to Jay-Z About Black Employment. Is He Right?

President Trump bragged about lowering the black unemployment rate in a tweet directed
at Jay-Z on Sunday morning. The message was seemingly a response to comments the hip-hop
artist and businessman made during an interview with CNN.

Trump’s attempt to fire Robert Mueller, explained

Reports say President Trump ordered the firing of Robert Mueller, the special counsel
investigating the Russia scandal, last June. But top White House lawyer Don McGahn
said he’d quit — and Trump backed down. Vox explains.

How Much Has ‘Climate Change’ Been Scrubbed From Federal Websites?

Five hurdles to getting an immigration deal

The Trump administration and Congress have a matter of weeks to agree to an immigration
deal that would protect potentially millions of immigrants brought to the United States
illegally as children from deportation.

The immigration negotiations Congress just gave itself 3 weeks to do, explained

Seven questions about the government shutdown you were too embarrassed to ask

We’ve entered the third day of the Trump administration’s first federal government
shutdown. And since the first two days happened over the weekend, you could be forgiven
for being a bit behind on exactly what’s happening. So as the standoff between Democrats
and Republicans continues, here’s a primer to what, exactly, is going on and why it
matters.

A President Not Sure of What He Wants Complicates the Shutdown Impasse

As the government shutdown continued for its second day on Sunday, one thing was clear
to both sides of the negotiations to end it: The president was either unwilling or
unable to articulate the immigration policy he wanted, much less understand the nuances
of what it would involve.

Stephen Miller: Immigration agitator and White House survivor

The 32-year-old former Senate aide is at the center of the fiery Washington battle
over what to do about the DREAMers, whose protection under the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals program will soon be rescinded by President Trump and whose cause
has been taken up by Democrats.

Trump's Quietly Growing List of Victories

News coverage of the president is overwhelmingly negative, largely for reasons of
his own making, and the Russia probe and other scandals tend to obscure more mundane
political action. In that context, it’s easy for the public to miss or forget about
changes that will affect the nation and American policy for years and decades to come.

Trump's Evolving Words on the Wall

A review of Mr. Trump’s public statements on Twitter, in campaign speeches and during
interviews shows that the president’s views on the border wall have shifted repeatedly
since he raised the idea nearly four years ago, on Aug. 5, 2014.

Tax Overhaul Is a Blow to Affordable Housing Efforts

The Republican tax plan approved last month amounts to a vast cutback, making it much
less likely that affordable housing construction will continue apace. Because the
tax rate for corporations has been lowered, the value of the credits — which corporations
get in return for their investments — is also lower.

Beyond the gossip, "Fire and Fury" reveals a president in crisis

Trump Sidesteps Question on Mueller Interview

Senate Democrats released an extensive report concluding that Russia’s interference
in the 2016 presidential election fit into a nearly two-decade pattern of meddling
with governments around the world, and charging that Mr. Trump himself had hindered
the United States response to a serious national security threat.

What a Judge’s DACA Ruling Means for Trump, and for DREAMers

The judge rejected the Trump Administration’s main reason for ending the program—that
it wouldn’t hold up if critics of the policy challenged it in court—as “arbitrary,”
“capricious,” and too flimsy to be the basis for ending a program on which nearly
a million people depended.

How a Coal Baron’s Wish List Became President Trump’s To-Do List

Environmentalists have complained that President Trump is following a blueprint from
the coal industry. A confidential memo written by the head of the country’s largest
coal mining company suggests they might not be wrong.

Expect Environmental Battles to Be ‘Even More Significant’ in 2018

The New Push for Investigations

FBI agents are reportedly looking at the Clinton Foundation again, while two Republican
senators suggested the Justice Department consider whether the author of an explosive
dossier alleging the president had been compromised by Russia lied.

A Short History of the Voting Fraud Commission

Trump administration targets certain words

The Trump administration is waging a linguistic battle across official Washington,
seeking to shift public perception of key policies by changing the way the federal
government talks about climate change, scientific evidence and disadvantaged communities.

How the ‘Small-Business Tax Cut’ Would Also Be a Tax Cut for the Wealthy

While “pass-throughs” is a term often used to refer to small businesses, a Treasury
Department analysis found that many are not actually businesses at all. And 69 percent
of pass-through income goes to the top one percent of households.

Trump Tries to Defy the Economic Odds with Tax Overhaul

Perhaps more than any other American political leader, Mr. Trump knows that long shots,
like his own presidential bid, sometimes pay off. In that vein, he and congressional
Republicans are arguing that their bitterly contested and expensive rewrite of the
tax code will ultimately create more jobs and raise wages.

In Protests of Net Neutrality Repeal, Teenage Voices Stood Out

The repeal of net neutrality has gotten many of these teens politically engaged for
the first time, with fears that the dismantling of rules could open the door for broadband
providers like AT&T and Comcast to distort the experience of accessing anything online
with equal ease.

The Republican Tax Bill Doesn’t Actually Simplify The Tax Code

How Russia Hacked America—And Why It Will Happen Again

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russian hackers attacked the U.S. on two fronts:
the psychological and the technical. This video from the Atlantic explains how and
why it won't be the last time.

Inside the President's Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation

As he ends his first year in office, Mr. Trump is redefining what it means to be president.
He sees the highest office in the land much as he did the night of his stunning victory
over Hillary Clinton — as a prize he must fight to protect every waking moment, and
Twitter is his Excalibur.

What is the "Russia Story"?

Under Trump, E.P.A. Has Slowed Actions Against Polluters, and Put Limits on Enforcement
Officers

An analysis of enforcement data by The New York Times shows that the administration
has adopted a more lenient approach than the previous two administrations — Democratic
and Republican — toward polluters.

President Tweets Inflammatory Anti-Muslim Videos

No modern American president has promoted inflammatory content of this sort from an
extremist organization. Mr. Trump’s two most recent predecessors, George W. Bush and
Barack Obama, both made a point of avoiding public messages that were likely to be
seen as anti-Muslim and could exacerbate racial and religious animosities.

It Started as a Tax Cut. Now It Could Change American Life.

The tax plan has been marketed by President Trump and Republican leaders as a straightforward
if enormous rebate for the masses. But the bill is a catchall legislative creation
that could reshape major areas of American life, from education to health care.

The Workplace Culture In Congress Fuels Sexual Harassment

Even before news of accusations against Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Al Franken, a female
member of Congress spoke out about her own experience with harassment. Rep. Jackie
Speier of California, a Democrat, said that Congress “has been a breeding ground for
a hostile work environment for far too long.” And research shows that Congress has
many of the ingredients for a work environment where sexual harassment is tolerated
or even encouraged.

Climate change has been good to some parts of Peru — but it may become a curse. In
recent decades, accelerating glacial melt in the Andes has enabled a gold rush downstream,
contributing to the irrigation and cultivation of more than 100,000 acres of land
since the 1980s. Yet the boon is temporary. The flow of water is already declining
as the glacier vanishes.

Culling Voter Rolls: Battling Over Who Even Gets to Go to the Polls

On its face, the notice sent to 248 county election officials asked only that they
do what Congress has ordered: Prune their rolls of voters who have died, moved or
lost their eligibility — or face a federal lawsuit. The notice, delivered in September
by a conservative advocacy group, is at the heart of an increasingly bitter argument
over the seemingly mundane task of keeping accurate lists of voters — an issue that
will be a marquee argument before the Supreme Court in January.

‘Please, God, Don’t Let Me Get Stopped’

Few places in the United States have simultaneously beckoned undocumented immigrants
and penalized them for coming like metropolitan Atlanta, a boomtown of construction
and service jobs where conservative politics and new national policies have turned
every waking day into a gamble.

Experts say the players for the U.C.L.A. team, who were accused of stealing sunglasses
from a Louis Vuitton store in Hangzhou, China, probably would have been released even
if Mr. Trump had not raised the case with President Xi Jinping during a visit this
month to Beijing.

FBI says hate crimes, especially against Muslims, went up in 2016

As has long been true, hate crimes based on race were by far the biggest category,
with more than half of reported hate crime incidents motivated by race, ethnicity,
or ancestry. Among those, nearly half were anti-black crimes, and nearly 10 percent
were anti-Latino. About one in five were anti-white, although white people were still
much less likely, when accounting for total population, to suffer a hate crime than
minority groups.

The Republican War on College

To pay for a permanent tax cut on corporations, the GOP tax bills would raise taxes
on colleges and college students, which is part of a broader Republican war on higher
education in the U.S. This is a big deal, because in the last half-century, the most
important long-term driver of wage growth has arguably been college.

For Roy Moore, a Long History of Combat and Controversy

In his response to claims by several women that he accosted or abused them when they
were teenagers, the GOP Senate candidate has shown the same defiance that he exhibited
when he was twice removed from his post as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court,
first for dismissing a federal court order to remove a 5,280-pound granite monument
of the Ten Commandments he had installed in the state judicial building, and later
for flouting the United States Supreme Court’s decision affirming gay marriage.

President Trump Is Rapidly Reshaping the Judiciary. Here’s How.

Republicans are systematically filling appellate seats they held open during President
Barack Obama’s final two years in office with a particularly conservative group of
judges with life tenure. Democrats — who in late 2013 abolished the ability of 41
lawmakers to block such nominees with a filibuster, then quickly lost control of the
Senate — have scant power to stop them.

The Texas shooting shows why “a good guy with a gun” isn’t enough

The Texas shooting exposes what this narrative gets wrong — more than 40 people were
shot before another armed person intervened. The reality is that there is a lot of
evidence that “a good guy with a gun” can’t stop mass shootings and other gun violence
in the US. Here are three key reasons why.

Directly contradicting much of the Trump administration’s position on climate change,
13 federal agencies unveiled an exhaustive scientific report that says humans are
the dominant cause of the global temperature rise that has created the warmest period
in the history of civilization.

From early in the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump swore he’d do away with
the so-called carried-interest loophole, the notorious tax break that allows highly
compensated private-equity managers, real estate investors and venture capitalists
to be taxed at a much lower rate than other professionals.

While a special prosecutor was announcing charges against three advisers to Donald
J. Trump’s presidential campaign, an alternative narrative was not hard to find in
the conservative news media. Be it Fox News, talk radio or a growing number of Trump-friendly
websites, the focus was on what they see as the scandal and wrongdoing of President
Trump’s political opponents.

John Kelly’s Bizarre Mythology of the Civil War

President Trump’s chief of staff, John Kelly, stated in an interview Confederate General
Robert E. Lee was an “honorable man who gave up his country to fight for his state.”
He went on to argue that “the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War.”

Kamala Harris’s immigration gamble

California's junior Democratic U.S. Senator is earning a reputation as the most outspoken
ally of immigration activists on Capitol Hill. Vox takes a look at the personal story
behind her political ambitions.

Five Books to Make You Less Stupid About the Civil War

On Monday, the retired four-star general and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly
asserted that “the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War.” This was
an incredibly stupid thing to say.

Russian Influence Reached 126 Million Through Facebook Alone

New information goes far beyond what the leading social media companies have revealed
in the past and underline the breadth of the Kremlin’s efforts to lever open divisions
in the United States using American technology platforms, especially Facebook. Multiple
investigations of Russian meddling have loomed over the first 10 months of the Trump
presidency, with one leading to the indictments of Paul Manafort, the former Trump
campaign chief, and others on Monday.

Trump Campaign Got Early Word Russia Had Democrats’ Emails

The guilty plea of a 30-year-old campaign aide — so green that he listed Model United
Nations in his qualifications — shifted the narrative on Monday of the Trump campaign’s
interactions with Russia: Court documents revealed that Russian officials alerted
the campaign, through an intermediary in April 2016, that they possessed thousands
of Democratic emails and other “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.

Paul Manafort: An FAQ about Trump’s indicted former campaign chairman

Veteran political operative Paul Manafort and his former business partner Rick Gates
are facing charges related to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation
into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Here's a breakdown of why Manafort in
particular may have been ensnared by Mueller’s investigation.

Trump Tries to Shift Focus as First Charges Loom in Russia Case

Pushing back against the accelerating criminal investigation into his campaign’s ties
to Russia, President Trump argued on Sunday that its focus should instead be on his
2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, even as the special counsel’s inquiry was reportedly
poised to produce its first indictment.

Will Congress Ever Limit the Forever-Expanding 9/11 War?

A Navy SEAL, killed alongside civilians in a January raid on a village in Yemen. Another
SEAL, killed while accompanying Somali forces on a May raid. And now four Army soldiers,
dead in an ambush this month in Niger. These American combat deaths underscore how
a law passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has been stretched
to permit open-ended warfare against Islamist militant groups scattered across the
Muslim world.

Facebook struggles with finding a fix for fake content

Amid concerns about internet trolling, manipulation and fake news, there is an ongoing
debate among Facebook employees over how to handle so-called organic content, or posts
from users that are not advertisements and can be freely shared across Facebook, according
to a dozen current and former Facebook employees.

E.P.A. Cancels Talk on Climate Change by Agency Scientists

The move highlights widespread concern that the E.P.A. will silence government scientists
from speaking publicly or conducting work on climate change. Scott Pruitt, the agency
administrator, has said that he does not believe human-caused greenhouse gas emissions
are primarily responsible for the warming of the planet.

An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots at EPA

The E.P.A.’s abrupt new direction on legacy chemicals is part of a broad initiative
by the Trump administration to change the way the federal government evaluates health
and environmental risks associated with hazardous chemicals, making it more aligned
with the industry’s wishes.

How Russia Harvested American Rage to Reshape U.S. Politics

A New York Times examination of hundreds of inflammatory social media posts shows
that one of the most powerful weapons that Russian agents used to reshape American
politics was the anger, passion and misinformation that real Americans were broadcasting
across social media platforms.

Political Guardrails Gone, a President’s Somber Duty Skids Into Spectacle

The feud over President Trump’s call to the widow of a fallen soldier might never
have escalated had Mr. Trump done what any of his predecessors almost certainly would
have done: apologize. Likewise, the nasty back-and-forth with a Democratic congresswoman,
who is close to the soldier’s family, might have dissipated had she not repeatedly
disparaged Mr. Trump’s intentions on national television.

Michael Flynn, Nicki Minaj shared content from this Tennessee GOP account. But it
wasn’t real. It was Russian.

Russian operatives used a fake Twitter account that claimed to speak for Tennessee
Republicans to persuade American politicians, celebrities and journalists to share
select content with their own massive lists of followers. The list of prominent people
who tweeted out links from the account, @Ten_GOP, which Twitter shut down in August,
includes political figures such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone, celebrities such
as Nicki Minaj and James Woods, and media personalities such as Ann Coulter and Chris
Hayes.

Second judge rules against latest travel ban, saying Trump’s own words show it was
aimed at Muslims

A federal judge in Maryland early Wednesday issued a second halt on the latest version
of President Trump’s travel ban, asserting that the president’s own comments on the
campaign trail and on Twitter convinced him that the directive was akin to an unconstitutional
Muslim ban.

Top General’s Grief Becomes Political Talking Point for Trump

President Trump’s remarks have drawn angry rebukes from allies of the former president
because his claims about Mr. Obama are false — he called or met with relatives of
multiple fallen service members. Former military commanders, for their part, said
Mr. Trump was politicizing one of the saddest and most sacred duties of the presidency.

The collapse of Mr. Marino’s nomination highlighted the Trump administration’s troubles
formulating a response to a crisis that the president has called unlike any in the
nation’s history. Nine months after taking office vowing to make the opioid epidemic
one of his top priorities, Mr. Trump has yet to unveil his promised campaign.

California Governor Signs Bill to Defend Against Religious Registries

On the last day to act on legislation in 2017, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed
a bill creating a firewall between the state's data and any attempt by the federal
government to create lists, registries, or databases based on a person's religion,
nationality, or ethnicity.

Drug czar nominee and the opioid industry’s advocate in Congress

Tom Marino is a four-term Republican member of the House who represents a district
in northeastern Pennsylvania that has been hard-hit by the opioid crisis. Yet Marino
also has been a friend on Capitol Hill of the giant drug companies that distribute
the pain pills that have wreaked so much devastation around the nation.

Promise the Moon? Easy for Trump. But Now Comes the Reckoning.

“The gap between President Trump’s ambitious promises and actual policies is large
and growing,” said William C. Inboden, a White House aide under President George W.
Bush and now executive director of the William P. Clements Jr. Center on History,
Strategy and Statecraft at the University of Texas. “This is weakening the institution
of the presidency itself, which becomes diminished when presidents over promise and
under deliver, or when responsibilities normally handled by the president become habitually
shirked to Congress or other nations.”

Trump’s Cuts to Health Law Enrollment Efforts Are Hitting Hard

Michigan Consumers for Health Care, a nonprofit group, has enrolled thousands of people
in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and was honored last year as one
of the nation’s top performers. So the group was stunned to learn from the Trump administration
that its funds for assisting consumers ahead of the open enrollment period that begins
Nov. 1 would be cut by 89 percent.

After White House Issues Demands, Hopes for an Immigration Deal Dim

Nearly a month after Democratic leaders and President Trump celebrated the possibility
of a bipartisan immigration deal, no such agreement appears on the horizon. Instead,
any agreement that would shield about 800,000 young immigrants from deportation will
depend on how far Democrats are willing to push the government toward a shutdown in
mid-December, when a stopgap spending bill expires.

Trump Hasn’t Killed Obama’s Biggest Policies, But He’s Making Lots Of Important Changes

President Trump’s administration has not totally reversed or repealed any of former
President Obama’s really big accomplishments. But the new administration is getting
rid of many Obama policies, ones that are not quite as far-reaching as, say, the Affordable
Care Act but still could impact millions of people. The latest example came when Trump’s
team announced broader exemptions for an ACA mandate requiring employers to offer
birth control free of deductibles or co-pays to their employees.

E.P.A. Chief’s Calendar: A Stream of Industry Meetings and Trips Home

Since taking office in February, the E.P.A. chief has held back-to-back meetings,
briefing sessions and speaking engagements almost daily with top corporate executives
and lobbyists from all the major economic sectors that he regulates — and almost no
meetings with environmental groups or consumer or public health advocates, according
to a 320-page accounting of his daily schedule from February through May, the most
detailed look yet at what Mr. Pruitt has been up to since he took over the agency.

False ISIS Connections, Nonexistent Victims and Other Misinformation in the Wake of
Las Vegas Shooting

Rumors and conspiracies have proliferated in the aftermath of the Sunday night shooting
at a Las Vegas music festival that left at least 59 dead. Viral falsehoods include:
false allegations about the gunman, a person of interest and Nevada’s gun control
laws. The New York Times examines some of the claims.

Twitter Seen as Key Engine in Russian Influence Campaign

Researchers say there is evidence that Twitter may have been used even more extensively
than Facebook in the Russian influence campaign last year. In addition to Russia-linked
Twitter accounts that posed as Americans, the platform was also used for large-scale
automated messaging, using “bot” accounts to spread false stories and promote news
articles about emails from Democratic operatives that had been obtained by Russian
hackers.

Trump Tax Plan Benefits Wealthy, Including Trump

The tax plan that the Trump administration outlined this week is a potentially huge
windfall for the wealthiest Americans. It would not directly benefit the bottom third
of the population. As for the middle class, the benefits appear to be modest.

How Failure of the Obamacare Repeal Affects Consumers

Obamacare repeal is dead, again. But the months of Republican attacks on the health
law will still have consequences for some consumers. The Trump administration remains
deeply opposed to the Affordable Care Act, and it has taken steps that will mean higher
prices for insurance and that will make it harder for consumers to get information
about how to sign up.

White people are really confident that things are getting better for black people

Americans, especially wealthy whites, vastly overestimate progress toward racial economic
equality despite evidence of persistent gaps between black and white workers when
it comes to hourly wages, annual income and household wealth, according to a new paper
by Yale University researchers.

Hurricane Irma Linked to Climate Change? For Some, a Very ‘Insensitive’ Question

Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, says it is
insensitive to discuss climate change in the midst of deadly storms. Tomás Regalado,
the Republican mayor of Miami whose citizens raced to evacuate before Hurricane Irma,
says if not now, when?

Where Trump's Hands-Off Approach to Governing Doesn't Apply

The Trump administration opened the door to allowing more firearms on federal lands.
It scrubbed references to “L.G.B.T.Q. youth” from the description of a federal program
for victims of sex trafficking. And, on the advice of religious leaders, it eliminated
funding to international groups that provide abortion. The aggressive regulatory effort,
which runs counter to the Trump administration’s less-is-more credo about government
meddling, has led to policy changes related to gun ownership, gay rights, reproductive
choices, immigration and other divisive political issues.

Why Common Critiques of DACA Are Misleading

Defenders of President Trump’s decision to rescind an Obama-era immigration policy
that shielded young immigrants from deportation have offered misleading critiques
of the program.
They say the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, known as DACA, led to
a humanitarian crisis on the border, put native-born Americans out of work and conferred
legal status to recipients. Here’s an assessment.

The Fake Americans Russia Created to Influence the Election

The Russian information attack on the election did not stop with the hacking and leaking
of Democratic emails or the fire hose of stories, true, false and in between, that
battered Mrs. Clinton on Russian web outlets like RT and Sputnik. Far less splashy,
and far more difficult to trace, was Russia’s experimentation on Facebook and Twitter,
the American companies that essentially invented the tools of social media and, in
this case, did not stop them from being turned into engines of deception and propaganda.

President Trump's DACA Statement, Annotated

The Trump administration has announced that it will be rescinding the DACA program,
which has protected 800,000 young adults from deportation. For context, the Southern
Poverty Law Center has annotated the president's statement.

What's Next for DACA and the DREAMers?

Trump expected to decide soon on fate of young immigrants

After months of delays, President Donald Trump is expected to decide soon on the fate
of young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children as he
faces a looming court deadline and is digging in on appeals to his base. Advocates
on both sides of the issue are bracing for the possibility that Trump will halt the
issuance of new work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or
DACA, program.

Trump Stance on Law and Order Leaves Leeway on the Law

President Trump spent 18 months as the ultimate law-and-order candidate, promising
to rescue an American way of life he said was threatened by terrorists, illegal immigrants
and inner-city criminals. But many critics and legal scholars say Trump has signaled
that taking the law into one’s own hands is permissible, within the executive branch
or in local police departments, or even against a heckler at one of his rallies.

Tech Privacy Tips for Students

As you get ready to go back to school, the Electronic Frontier Foundation recommends
adding "review your student privacy rights" to your to-do list, right next to ordering
books and buying supplies. Exciting new technology in the classroom can also mean
privacy violations, including the chance that your personal devices and online accounts
may be demanded for searches.

Dark money, super PAC spending surges ahead of 2018 midterms

Conservative groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Trump’s campaign offshoot,
America First Policies, make up nearly 80 percent of dark money spending reported
to the FEC this cycle. Only two liberal groups – Planned Parenthood and Patriot Majority
USA – rank among the top 10 in dark money spending so far, according to FEC reporting
data processed by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide

Since 2010, law enforcement agencies have reported an average of about 6,000 hate
crime incidents per year to the FBI. The good news is, all over the country people
are fighting hate, standing up to promote tolerance and inclusion. This guide sets
out 10 principles for fighting hate in your community.

Before Charlottesville, a String of Killings Raised the Specter of Far-Right Violence

The death of Heather D. Heyer, who was killed on Saturday after a man drove a car
into counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., was the
latest in a string of fatal attacks that have raised the specter of far-right, racist
or anti-immigrant violence.

How Trump's talking points match up with Fox News

Trump Threat to Obamacare Would Send Premiums and Deficits Higher

Premiums for the most popular health insurance plans would shoot up 20 percent next
year, and federal budget deficits would increase by $194 billion in the coming decade,
if President Trump carried out his threat to end certain subsidies paid to insurance
companies under the Affordable Care Act, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.

The Justice Department is trying to force an internet hosting company to turn over
information about everyone who visited a website used to organize protests during
President Trump’s inauguration, setting off a new fight over surveillance and privacy
limits.

SPLC releases campus guide to countering ‘alt-right’

With college students returning to class in the coming weeks, the Southern Poverty
Law Center released a new guide today that advises them on how to respond when speakers
associated with the growing white nationalist, or “alt-right,” movement, appear on
campus.

President Donald Trump bowed to overwhelming pressure that he personally condemn white
supremacists who incited bloody demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend,
labeling their racist views “evil” after two days of equivocal statements. Trump had
faced pressure to issue a more forceful rebuke from aides. That pressure reached boiling
point early Monday after the president attacked the head of the pharmaceuticals company
Merck, who is black, for quitting an advisory board over his failure to call out white
nationalists.

Trump Is Criticized for Not Calling Out White Supremacists

President Trump is rarely reluctant to express his opinion, but he is often seized
by caution when addressing the violence and vitriol of white nationalists, neo-Nazis
and alt-right activists, some of whom are his supporters. During a brief and uncomfortable
address to reporters at his golf resort in Bedminster, N.J., he called for an end
to the violence. But he was the only national political figure to spread blame for
the “hatred, bigotry and violence” that resulted in the death of one person to “many
sides.”

Scott Pruitt Is Carrying Out His E.P.A. Agenda in Secret, Critics Say

As the new EPA chief works to roll back regulations, close offices and eliminate staff
at the agency charged with protecting the nation’s environment and public health,
Scott Pruitt is taking extraordinary measures to conceal his actions, according to
interviews with more than 20 current and former agency employees.

Many Politicians Lie. But Trump Has Elevated the Art of Fabrication.

From his days peddling the false notion that former President Barack Obama was born
in Kenya, to his inflated claims about how many people attended his inaugural, to
his description just last week of receiving two phone calls — one from the president
of Mexico and another from the head of the Boy Scouts — that never happened, President
Trump is trafficking in hyperbole, distortion and fabrication on practically a daily
basis.

How the Trump hotel changed Washington’s culture of influence

The Trump International Hotel has emerged as a Republican Party power center. And
for the first time in presidential history, a profit-making venture touts the name
of a U.S. president in its gold signage. And every cup of coffee served, every fundraiser
scheduled, every filet mignon ordered feeds the revenue of the Trump family’s private
business.

Secrecy and Suspicion Surround Deregulation Teams

When President Trump ordered federal agencies to form teams to dismantle government
regulations, the Transportation Department turned to people with deep industry ties.
One appointee had previously lobbied the department on behalf of American Airlines.
Another held executive roles for several electric and hybrid car companies regulated
by the department. A third was a lawyer who represented United Airlines in regulatory
matters.

Those Calls to Trump? White House Admits They Didn’t Happen

Has President Trump told you about the time the head of the Boy Scouts called to say
his was the best speech ever delivered to the more than century-old organization?
What about when the president of Mexico picked up the telephone to let him know that
his tough enforcement efforts at the border were paying off handsomely? As the White
House conceded on Wednesday: Neither was true.

Discrimination against whites was a core concern of Trump’s base

The Justice Department’s plan to investigate and sue universities over affirmative
action admissions policies they determine discriminate against white students represents
a shift in the department’s civil rights division. But the move also addresses a central
concern for voters who fueled President Trump’s victory last year: that whites are
losing out in today’s society.

Trump Supports Plan to Cut Legal Immigration by Half

President Trump embraced a proposal on Wednesday to slash legal immigration to the
United States in half within a decade by sharply curtailing the ability of American
citizens and legal residents to bring family members into the country.

Trump Was Involved in Drafting Son’s Statement, Aide Confirms

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump was involved in drafting
a misleading statement issued by his son about a meeting with a Russian lawyer last
year, contradicting the president’s lawyer who repeatedly denied that Mr. Trump had
anything to do with the statement.

Trump Says No ‘Chaos!’ at White House but Continues Threats

After a week of White House turmoil spilling into public view, Mr. Trump insisted
there was “No WH chaos!” just an hour before he swore in a retired four-star Marine
Corps general as his new chief of staff.

Keep an Eye On Your State’s Congressional Delegation

Pro Publica has added some new features to Represent, its congressional news app,
including new pages for every state’s delegation and redesigned bill category pages,
like legislation about environmental protection, to provide more useful information.
You also can search the full text of bills by keyword or phrase.

How to Repair the Health Law (It’s Tricky but Not Impossible)

Republicans have failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Now, can it
be repaired? The question for the roughly 20 million Americans who buy their own health
coverage — and for millions of others who remain uninsured — is what can realistically
be done to address their main concerns: high prices and lack of choice in many parts
of the country.

Amid the Blaring Headlines, Routine Reports of Hate-Fueled Violence

Pro Publica's "Documenting Hate" project has found that incidents and crimes of racial
or religious or sexual prejudice are becoming so commonplace that they can seem an
almost ordinary part of the fabric of life in America.

Which Anonymous Sources Are Worth Paying Attention To?

An earlier installment in this FiveThirtyEight guide to unnamed sources laid out some
general tips for making sense of these kinds of stories. This second part gets more
specific, to help you to essentially decode these stories. The goal is help you know
which stories you should rely on based on the different kinds of sourcing used. This
author divides anonymous sources into six general types and give the pros and cons
of each, in terms of reliability.

Obamacare’s Future Now Depends on an Unhappy White House

The congressional effort to overhaul the health care system appears to be in shambles.
But the current health care system lives on. And decisions the Trump administration
makes about how to manage it could have big effects on who has coverage next year,
and what it costs them.

When To Trust A Story That Uses Unnamed Sources

Outgoing Ethics Chief: U.S. Is ‘Close to a Laughingstock’

Actions by President Trump and his administration have created a historic ethics crisis,
the departing head of the Office of Government Ethics said. He called for major changes
in federal law to expand the power and reach of the oversight office and combat the
threat.

A murder shatters the dreams of immigrant tech workers

“He’s back, and he has a gun!”
Adam Purinton strode toward the patio of Austins Bar & Grill, a black and white cloth
tied around his head and military-style medals pinned haphazardly to his white shirt.
He burst into the patio’s flimsy side door shouting, “Get out of my country!” and
fired his handgun at two Indian men seated at a high table, according to eyewitnesses
and police records. Customers screamed over the din of the TVs and dove for the ground.
At least three bullets hit the man facing the door, Srinivas Kuchi­bhotla. Another
bullet plunged into the leg of his friend, Alok Madasani, who crawled for the door
before collapsing on the concrete.

Donald Trump Jr.'s full emails annotated

Donald Trump Jr. posted his full exchange with a publicist for a Russian pop musician
to Twitter on Tuesday, and the emails confirm previous reports that Trump Jr. was
offered compromising information about Hillary Clinton specifically from the Russian
government. The emails also say flatly that the Kremlin was working to help elect
his father — claims which Trump Jr., his father and the White House would deny for
months afterward. The Washington Post has published the emails with notes about their
content.

The Deep Industry Ties of Trump’s Deregulation Teams

President Trump entered office pledging to cut red tape, and within weeks, he ordered
his administration to assemble teams to aggressively scale back government regulations.
But the effort — a signature theme in Mr. Trump’s populist campaign for the White
House — is being conducted in large part out of public view and often by political
appointees with deep industry ties and potential conflicts.

Foes of Obama-Era Rule Work to Undo Birth Control Mandate

From the obscure perch of a backbench senator’s office, Katy Talento used to warn
against what she saw as the health hazards of birth control pills — cancer, infertility
and miscarriage. From his post at a Christian legal advocacy group, Matthew Bowman
spent years attacking the requirement that most health insurance plans cover contraception
under the Affordable Care Act. Now on the inside — one at the White House, the other
at the Department of Health and Human Services — Ms. Talento and Mr. Bowman have a
clear path to prosecute their strong belief that birth control coverage should not
be a mandate from Washington.

Trump Aides Recruited Businessmen to Devise Options for Afghanistan

President Trump’s advisers recruited two businessmen who profited from military contracting
to devise alternatives to the Pentagon’s plan to send thousands of additional troops
to Afghanistan. Erik D. Prince, a founder of the private security firm Blackwater
Worldwide, and Stephen A. Feinberg, a billionaire financier who owns the giant military
contractor DynCorp International, have developed proposals to rely on contractors
instead of American troops in Afghanistan at the behest of Stephen K. Bannon, Mr.
Trump’s chief strategist, and Jared Kushner, his senior adviser and son-in-law, according
to people briefed on the conversations.

Five Misleading Republican Claims About Health Care

‘I’m President and They’re Not’: Trump Attacks Media at Faith Rally

President Trump used the first part of his holiday weekend getaway to issue more denunciations
of the news media, using a celebration of American veterans and freedom at an evening
rally to thunder that he would not allow the “fake” media to stop his agenda.

For Millions, Life Without Medicaid Services Is No Option

Frances Isbell has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that has left her unable
to walk or even roll over in bed. But Ms. Isbell has a personal care assistant through
Medicaid, and the help allowed her to go to law school at the University of Alabama
here. She will graduate next month. The care she gets is an optional benefit under
federal Medicaid law, which means each state can decide whether to offer it and how
much to spend. Optional services that she and millions of other Medicaid beneficiaries
receive would be particularly at risk under Republican proposals to scale back Medicaid
as part of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Counseled by Industry, Not Staff, E.P.A. Chief Is Off to a Blazing Start

In the four months since he took office as the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator,
Scott Pruitt has moved to undo, delay or otherwise block more than 30 environmental
rules, a regulatory rollback larger in scope than any other over so short a time in
the agency’s 47-year history, according to experts in environmental law. Mr. Pruitt,
a former Oklahoma attorney general who built a career out of suing the agency he now
leads, is moving effectively to dismantle the regulations and international agreements
that stood as a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s legacy.

Sean Spicer’s untelevised news briefing, annotated.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer once again barred TV cameras from a media
briefing on Monday and prohibited live audio broadcasts. Spokesmen for President Trump
have allowed question-and-answer sessions with reporters to be televised just six
times in the past six weeks. The Washington Post has annotated a transcript of the
session, since it could not be seen on TV.

Video Fact Check: The Senate Health Care Bill

With 3 Words, Supreme Court Opens a World of Uncertainty for Refugees

About four out of 10 refugees who come to the United States have no family ties in
the country, according to independent estimates. In some cities known for taking in
refugees — like Boise, Idaho; New Haven; and Fayetteville, Ark. — those with no family
ties are a majority. On Monday, the Supreme Court threw into question whether such
refugees, who are among the most vulnerable people seeking a haven after fleeing persecution
or conflict, will be approved for resettlement in the United States.

Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault

Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at
the White House. Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing
deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s
direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential
race. The intelligence captured Putin’s specific instructions on the operation’s audacious
objectives — defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and
help elect her opponent, Donald Trump.

Shifting Dollars From Poor to Rich Is a Key Part of the Senate Health Bill

The Affordable Care Act gave health insurance to millions of Americans by shifting
resources from the wealthy to the poor and by moving oversight from states to the
federal government. The Senate bill introduced Thursday pushes back forcefully on
both dimensions.

New Trump appointee has history of disparaging tweets against Obama, Megyn Kelly and
Japanese Americans

Before William C. Bradford was appointed by the Trump administration to run the Energy
Department’s Office of Indian Energy, he tweeted a slew of disparaging remarks about
the real and imagined ethnic, religious and gender identities of former president
Barack Obama, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, TV news host Megyn Kelly and Japanese
Americans during World War II.

Russia Renewed Unused Trump Trademarks in 2016

Amid a broadening investigation of Russian contacts with his associates and his own
role in trying to stop it, President Trump fired off another angry tweet this past
week repeating his assertion that he has no business interests in Russia. But while
no Trump Tower graces the Moscow skyline, the Russian authorities recently made sure
that another piece of valuable property — the intellectual kind — bearing the same
name remained safely in Mr. Trump’s portfolio.

Trump ‘Is Not Under Investigation,’ His Lawyer Insists

A member of President Trump’s legal team says that the president was not under investigation
by the special counsel looking into Russia’s election-year meddling, contradicting
Mr. Trump’s assertion in a Friday morning tweet that he is a subject of the widening
inquiry.

How Michael Flynn’s Disdain for Limits Led to a Legal Quagmire

Michael T. Flynn was a man seething and thwarted. In the summer of 2014, after repeatedly
clashing with other Obama administration officials over his management of the Defense
Intelligence Agency — and what he saw as his unheeded warnings about the rising power
of Islamic militants — Mr. Flynn was fired, bringing his military career to an abrupt
end. Mr. Flynn decided that the military’s loss would be his gain.

As U.S. Adds Troops in Afghanistan, Trump’s Strategy Remains Undefined

President Trump has outsourced the decision on how to proceed militarily in Afghanistan
to the Pentagon, a startling break with how former President Barack Obama and many
of his predecessors handled the anguished task of sending Americans into foreign conflicts.

‘Dreamers’ to Stay in U.S. for Now, but Long-Term Fate Is Unclear

President Trump will not immediately eliminate protections for the so-called Dreamers,
undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as small children, according
to new memorandums issued by the administration. But White House officials said that
Mr. Trump had not made a decision about the long-term fate of the program and might
yet follow through on a campaign pledge to take away work permits from the immigrants
or deport them.

Trump’s Cabinet, With a Prod, Extols the ‘Blessing’ of Serving Him

One by one, they praised President Trump, taking turns complimenting his integrity,
his message, his strength, his policies. Their leader sat smiling, nodding his approval.
So it went on Monday in the Cabinet Room of the White House, as Mr. Trump transformed
a routine meeting of senior members of his government into a mood-boosting, ego-stroking
display of support for himself and his agenda.

A Woman Long at Risk of Deportation Gains a Reprieve

Jessica Colotl, a Mexican woman whose highly publicized deportation case in Georgia
thrust her into the national debate over immigration, may stay in the United States
and be temporarily protected from deportation, a federal judge ruled on Monday.

'If We are Deported, Who Benefits?'

Jessica Colotl tells her story: "What happened to me could happen to any one of the
750,000 young people whose entire lives depend on this lifeline the U.S. government
extended us through the DACA program."

Team Trump’s official response to the Comey testimony — now, with context

Following the testimony of former FBI director James Comey before the Senate Intelligence
Committee on Thursday, President Trump’s personal attorney Marc Kasowitz released
a statement in response. The Washington Post reprinted the statement in full, with
annotation.

Comey Accuses White House of ‘Lies’ and Says Trump Tried to Derail Inquiry

James B. Comey, the recently fired F.B.I. director, said Thursday in an extraordinary
Senate hearing that he believed that President Trump had clearly tried to derail an
F.B.I. investigation into his former national security adviser and that the president
had lied and defamed him.

Bucking Trump, These Cities, States and Companies Commit to Paris Accord

Representatives of American cities, states and companies are preparing to submit a
plan to the United Nations pledging to meet the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions
targets under the Paris climate accord, despite President Trump’s decision to withdraw
from the agreement.

Trump, Prioritizing Economy Over Climate, Cites Disputed Premises

In making his case for abandoning the Paris climate accord, President Trump characterized
the agreement as an economic straitjacket — one that would impose terrible burdens
on Americans by shuttering the coal industry, suffocating growth and redistributing
jobs and wealth from the United States to its competitors. But several of Mr. Trump’s
claims either relied on dubious data or distorted research reports.

Video: Sean Spicer Press Briefing - Decoded

Donald Trump's Jared Kushner dilemma

President Trump remains publicly supportive of his son-in-law, who has a broad portfolio
of White House responsibilities, including Middle East peace and streamlining government.
But after recent reports of Kushner's contacts with Russian officials or intermediaries,
the picture is less clear.

White House Acts to Roll Back Birth-Control Mandate for Religious Employers

Federal officials, following through on a pledge by President Trump, have drafted
a rule to roll back a federal requirement that many religious employers provide birth
control coverage in health insurance plans.

How Congress dismantled federal Internet privacy rules

Congressional Republicans knew their plan was potentially explosive. They wanted to
kill landmark privacy regulations that would soon ban Internet providers, such as
Comcast and AT&T, from storing and selling customers’ browsing histories without their
express consent. So after weeks of closed-door debates on Capitol Hill over who would
take up the issue first, Republican members settled on a secret strategy, according
to Hill staff and lobbyists involved in the battle.

White House Backs Down on Keeping Ethics Waivers Secret

The White House has unexpectedly backed down in a confrontation with the government’s
top ethics officer, announcing it will publicly disclose waivers that have been quietly
handed out since January to let certain former lobbyists work in the administration.

Amid news that immigration arrests are rising sharply under the Trump Administration,
the Detroit News reported last week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
agents recently obtained permission to use a Stingray to track down an immigrant suspected
of “unlawful reentry” into the country.

White House Moves to Block Ethics Inquiry Into Ex-Lobbyists on Payroll

The Trump administration, in a significant escalation of its clash with the government’s
top ethics watchdog, has moved to block an effort to disclose any ethics waivers granted
to former lobbyists who have work in the White House or federal agencies.

Kushner keeps most of his real estate but offers few clues about potential White House
conflicts

Jared Kushner, 36, who is emerging as a singularly powerful figure in the Trump White
House, is keeping nearly 90 percent of his vast real estate holdings even after resigning
from the family business and pledging a clear divide between his private interests
and public duties.

Border Patrol detains 22-year-old Cal State L.A. student activist

A 22-year-old immigration activist and college student has been detained by Border
Patrol agents, sparking claims that she was targeted in retaliation for protesting
the arrest of her mother, who was swept up by federal agents during a massive cocaine
bust last month.

President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister
and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former
U.S. officials, who said Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence
on the Islamic State.

AP FACT CHECK: It’s far from case closed on Trump, Russia

President Donald Trump is decidedly premature in claiming everyone’s convinced his
presidential campaign and Russia did not collude before the election. Investigations
into contacts between Russians and people with the Trump campaign are still going
on, so there’s no exoneration to be found.

ACLU Demands Records on Comey Dismissal

The ACLU submitted a request to the Department of Justice and the FBI asking for the
release of all documents relating to President Donald Trump’s decision to remove FBI
Director James Comey from office. The cloud of uncertainty swirling over Comey’s dismissal,
along with indications that the president may have gravely abused his power, demands
a public accounting.

Advocate for Tough Voting Rules to Steer Trump’s Elections Commission

An advocate for tough restrictions on voting rights and immigration is the new vice-chair
of a federal advisory commission to investigate voter fraud. Academic studies regularly
show — and most state election officials agree — that voter fraud is rare.

If Americans Can Find North Korea on a Map, They’re More Likely to Prefer Diplomacy

Defiant Trump Vows to Take Immigration Case to Supreme Court

President Trump vowed on Wednesday to challenge California jurisdictions all the way
to the Supreme Court after a federal judge there stopped him from withholding funds
to penalize them for shielding illegal immigrants. Mr. Trump, who twice has been blocked
by courts from imposing a temporary travel ban on visitors from select Muslim-majority
countries, expressed frustration that once again a judge in a single district could
thwart him from taking action.

Trump proposes dramatic tax cuts for companies big and small

President Donald Trump proposed dramatic cuts in the taxes paid by corporations big
and small Wednesday in an overhaul his administration says will spur economic growth
and bring jobs and prosperity to America's middle class. But his ambitious plan alarmed
lawmakers who worry about ballooning federal deficits.

Gathering Social Media Handles from Chinese Visitors

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has joined a coalition effort, led by Asian Americans
Advancing Justice (AAAJ), to oppose the federal government’s proposal to scrutinize
the social media activities of Chinese visitors. Specifically, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) seeks to ask certain visa applicants from China to disclose the existence
of their social media accounts and the identifiers or handles associated with those
accounts.

Aircraft Carrier Wasn’t Sailing to Deter North Korea, as U.S. Suggested

Just over a week ago, the White House declared that ordering an American aircraft
carrier into the Sea of Japan would send a powerful deterrent signal to North Korea
and give President Trump more options in responding to the North’s provocative behavior.
The problem was that the carrier, the Carl Vinson, and the three other warships in
its strike force were that very moment sailing in the opposite direction.

The House’s vote Tuesday approving a resolution that would allow internet service
providers to sell data about their customers’ browsing history split nearly along
party lines. The final vote was 215-205, with nine members not voting.

Resources for Undocumented Students

De Anza College is committed to providing education and a safe environment for all
students, regardless of their immigration status. While the recent national election
has prompted uncertainty and concern about future government polices, De Anza is reaffirming
its commitment to treat all students with equity and respect. This page will be updated
regularly with information about on-campus programs and other resources for undocumented
students.

In Time for the Reform Debate, New Documents Shed Light on the Government’s Surveillance
of Americans

The ACLU today released more than a dozen new documents concerning the government’s
warrantless surveillance of millions of Americans. They were obtained from several
intelligence agencies in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit and relate
to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law that the government
relies on to conduct its PRISM and Upstream spying programs.

Californians for Population Stabilization Board Chair Ben Zuckerman Co-Edited Book
with White Nationalist

Ben Zuckerman, the president of the board of the anti-immigrant Californians for Population
Stabilization (CAPS) co-edited a book with well-known white nationalist Michael Hart.
The book, Extraterrestrials: Where Are They?, examines the plausibility of aliens
existing and was first published in 1982 and again in 1995, but a 2015 email exchange
obtained by the Southern Poverty Law Center indicates that Zuckerman cared little
about Hart’s openly racist beliefs.

250 donors shelled out $100k or more for Trump’s inauguration, providing 91% of funds

What does it take to stage a welcome-to-the-neighborhood blowout? President Trump
raised $107 million for his inaugural festivities, shattering previous records. The
former titleholder, Barack Obama, raised half that, $53.2 million, in 2009 — though
Obama imposed far stricter limits on amounts and sources of donations.